Being on God's side, because God is right.

Daniel 4:37: “Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

 

Words to live by. You know I love ya, Don

Where can I find help?

Daniel 4:34a "At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored."  

The Bible is full of examples of people whom God has raised up from obscurity and exalted to great prosperity. David was a young shepherd boy whom God made a king. Job was a humble farmer when God prospered him with financial independence. Amos was promoted from a fig picker to being one of the great prophets of God. Daniel was lifted from a lowly servant in a boot camp in Babylon to becoming a national commander.

But the key to their success was that they never lost perspective in the process. All these men remembered who it was who raised them up… where their help came from. Now Nebuchadnezzar joins their ranks acknowledging that “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (cf. 7:25).

No matter what position you may now have, no matter what possessions you may now own, no matter what relationships you may now have, no matter what your present skills and abilities are, and no matter how secure you may now feel in these things, you must know that you are always in complete dependence on God.

Our dependence on God defines our humble faith. You know I love ya, Don

The root of the problem ... PRIDE!

The root problem at the very core of all of our lives is pride. Now I know that’s nothing new. In fact, this problem first surfaced in the Garden of Eden. The problem with pride is that it robs us not only of a full and meaningful relationship with other people but, even more so, it robs us of a full and meaningful relationship with God.

A working definition of pride: Pride is simply our refusal to acknowledge God as we should. It is failing to realize fully that all of our abilities, achievements, possessions and relationships are not due ultimately to our sound judgment or superior wisdom, but to the gifts and grace of a sovereign God.

God has declared himself in Scripture as the active antagonist of the proud. God is adamantly opposed to those who set themselves up in proud self-sufficiency. Throughout Scripture we find the same theme repeatedly: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (cf. James 4:6). But I’m afraid that most of us today are unaware of our problem with pride. Daniel 4 offers three very basic steps in overcoming pride. A person can over come pride by taking the steps of knowing where your helps comes from, acknowledging God is greater, and recognizing that God is right. 

You know I love ya, Don 

TOTALLY!!!

Daniel 3:17: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”

The Down Syndrome Indiana Association is the benefactor of the Rolls Royce Company Fly-in every August. One year they brought two, brand new Rolls Royce cars to the show and they would rope off around the cars and not allow you to get to close or to touch it.

Totally is defined as “completely” … Imagine how you would feel if you ordered a new Rolls Royce Bentley and paid $176,000 for this car. You ordered it in your favorite color with your choice leather chairs and automatic turbo charged engine.

Yet, when it arrives it comes just as you ordered, but it is not assembled. Then, there is one box marked… only use these parts if needed…. WHAT?

When you ordered your luxury car, you expected it to be complete and totally assembled with all of its parts in use. Right?

To be totally committed is to be completely assembled for Jesus and totally committed to your fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Total followers of Jesus are resolved to get rid of the garbage in their lives and totally resolved to remain in the truth. 

I am totally committed! You know I love ya, Don